My interview with Lieutenant Colonel, Hank Keirsey, retired, the military adviser for all of the call of duty games, including the latest installment, Black ops.

“Black Ops is a first-person shooter. The player assumes the role of a foot soldier and thus has access to various firearms, of which two at a time can be carried, as well as explosives such as grenades and other equipment to fight enemies. When players are close enough to an enemy, they can perform a melee attack which ensures a one-hit-kill. A character can be positioned in one of the three stances: standing, crouching, or prone; each affecting the character’s rate of movement, accuracy, and stealth. The player can directly dive prone from a standing position. The player can momentarily run faster before getting tired. When the character has taken damage, the screen glows red. Health regenerates by avoiding damage. When the character is within the blast radius of a live grenade, a marker indicates the direction of the grenade, helping the player to either flee or throw it back. The game features a variety weapons such as crossbows (with alternative explosive ammunition), Dragon’s Breath rounds and ballistic knives.” – Wikipedia

Hank Keirsey is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, decorated combat veteran and authority on World War II military history. He has spent his life coaching, mentoring and building teams, and leading them under stress. Keirsey has created winning organizations that have succeeded under the most demanding conditions, from field training and combat to corporate environments.

Commissioned as an infantryman from the United States Military Academy at West Point, Keirsey’s first tour of duty was with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Since then, Keirsey has served in a wide variety of leadership and staff positions both in the United States and overseas. During the Gulf War, Keirsey (assigned as Executive Officer) and his airborne infantry battalion spearheaded the attack into Iraq. Keirsey was awarded the Bronze Star for his role in the successful offensive.

After the Gulf War, Keirsey was assigned to the Army’s premier combat training center at Ft. Polk, Louisiana, where he designed a course to train leaders in critical decision making – later becoming the staff and leader-training model for the entire Army. Keirsey holds a Bachelor’s degree from West Point, a Master’s degree in history from Duke University, and has taught history and military ethics at West Point. He is also a master parachutist, a ranger, and has earned the Expert and Combat Infantryman Badges.